WORLD JUNIOR MIXED DOUBLES KICKS OFF, WENDLING AND PARAL TO REPRESENT UNITED STATES
Photo by: World Curling
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, May 5, 2026] — The final major international curling event of the season gets underway today, as the Booster Juice World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship runs from May 5th through the 10th at the Saville Center in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Ella Wendling and Benji Paral captured the 2026 USA Curling Junior Mixed Doubles Nationals title this past March in Falmouth, MA, earning the right represent the United States against the world’s top young curling duos.
The Saville Community Sports Centre is a 350,000 square foot multi-sport recreation facility, managed and operated by the University of Alberta. The inaugural 2025 World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship was also hosted at this location.
“We were thrilled when this event was introduced last season,” noted USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “It’s a terrific opportunity for our best young players to get international experience in this discipline. We saw American audiences embrace it during the silver medal run of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin at the 2026 Olympics, and we look forward to developing the next generation of talent.”
The Booster Juice World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship is an open-entry event, bringing together teams from 30 World Curling Member Associations. Competition runs throughout the week, with round-robin play leading into the playoff rounds. This event is open entry with 29 teams set to compete, with teams split into four groups for the qualifying round. Russia and Nigeria were slated to attend, but both countries have withdrawn because of visa and personal issues.
Fans can find standings, scores, schedules, and statistics through the World Curling events page.
“The high level of of play at our Nationals at the Cape Cod Curling Club was truly energizing, and we look forward to watching Ella and Benji take to the ice in Edmonton,” Gemmell added.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, the Dale’s family of beers, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Ice, Sports & Solar (ISS), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of World Curling and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
